9 Spotify Hacks You Aren’t Using Yet

Cailey Rizzo·Aug 31, 2016

If you’re a 21st-century music streaming addict, you may think you know everything there is to know about your Spotify account. You know about private mode, those amazing Discover playlists and how to find the hottest new music. But, you probably don’t know all the amazing tricks Spotify has hidden up its sleeve. Here, we’ve got nine Spotify hacks to turn the volume waaaay up on your daily music streaming. You can make us a playlist to thank us.

1. Mix it up with friends. If you’re planning a party with friends, make a collaborative playlist to figure out what you’ll be listening to. To share your playlist, create a new one and then click those three dots under the playlist’s name. Hit “Collaborative Playlist” and then choose who you want to invite. They’ll get a notification and the ability to add their favorite tracks.

2. Learn about your music. If you’re listening to a song and a “Behind the lyrics” button pops up in the lower right hand corner, click it. Not only will Spotify then show you all the lyrics to the song, it may even have analysis available for those confusing songs that don’t really make any sense.

3. Stay updated on concerts. In Spotify’s main “Browse” tab, there’s an option to see all concerts. The app will take a look at your location and the artists you frequently listen to. Then it will let you know if any happen to be coming to town soon. While your bank account may not like this feature, you will grow to love it.

4. Stay in sync. Spotify Running is one of the best things to ever happen to runners. The amazing (mobile-only) feature takes a look at how fast you’re running and curates a playlist to go perfectly in time with your footsteps. It’s an amazing tool for pushing yourself through those grueling last minutes of any run.

5. Crossfade. Fake some DJ skills and set up crossfade so there’s never an awkward gap between songs. If you’re ever having a party, all your guests will be impressed. To set it up, go to Edit >> Preferences >> Advanced settings. Activate the “Crossfade songs” option underneath playback. You can adjust how long you would like each song to last and then sit back and soak up the compliments.

6. Make your searches better. If you’re looking for a specific artist or album on Spotify, you can hone in your searches and make them more efficient. For example, to search only through album names, type “Album:EMOTION SIDE B” and Spotify will make sure you get directly to that Carly Rae Jepsen goodness.

7. Make your phone do double duty. If your computer and your phone are synced up to the same WiFi, you can play music from your computer’s speakers, using your phone as a remote. Just go to “Available devices,” and select where you would like the music to come from. You can control which song plays, pause and fast forward from the Spotify app — all without ever touching the actual device that’s playing the music.

8. Get personal. Tweet customer service @SpotifyCares for a personalized playlist, made just for you. Be nice and see what surprises they’ll whip up for you.

9. Stay organized. If you’re someone who makes a LOT of playlists, keep them all in order with folders. Just go to File >> New Playlist Folder. Then name the new folder and drag your playlists in. We recommend making different playlists for the seasons or your moods, but you do you and organize whichever way feels best.